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Cowboys suffer another blow, losing injured All-Pro up to two months

Despite ample evidence to the contrary, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly said throughout the 2024 NFL offseason and training camp that he’s ‘all in.’

But, for various reasons, not all of his players are.

The latest blow landed Saturday, when news surfaced revealing that All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland needs surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot and could miss up to two months.

He emerged as a force in 2023 after replacing fellow All-Pro Trevon Diggs, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last September. Bland took over and subsequently led the NFL with nine interceptions, returning five for touchdowns – establishing a league record.

2024 NFL record projections: What’s Cowboys’ outlook?

All things Cowboys: Latest Dallas Cowboys news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Bland’s absence adds to the growing list of problems for Dallas, the reigning NFC East champions. Pass rusher Sam Williams went down with a torn ACL early in training camp. With Bland out, the secondary will be especially depleted after former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, who started every game at cornerback last season, recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Mike McCarthy suggested after Saturday’s preseason loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that rookie Caelen Carson could be a candidate to fill in for Bland.

And, of course, All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb has yet to report to the Cowboys as he continues to angle for a new contract, one that would land him near the top of the positional pay scale alongside the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, whose new extension averages $35 million annually.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and linebacker Micah Parsons are also in line for new deals, but Jones, who was unusually inactive during this year’s free agency period – yet lost several starters to other teams, three to the division rival Washington Commanders – has yet to resolve those issues and currently appears most focused on getting Lamb back into the fold.

The Cowboys open the regular season on the road Sept. 8 against the Cleveland Browns.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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Caitlin Clark’s domination in Minnesota finally ends

There was no victory for Caitlin Clark in Minnesota on Saturday night as the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever 90-80 for their sixth straight victory.

In her first game since she broke the WNBA record for most assists in a rookie season, Clark had a solid outing with 23 points, the 13th time she’s scored at least 20 points in a game this season. But the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup winners were clicking from beyond the arc with 11 made 3-pointers, six of which came in the first quarter.

Saturday was the first time Clark lost in the state of Minnesota since she started her college career. Clark won the 2023 and 2024 Big Ten tournament titles with Iowa at Target Center, posting a perfect 6-0 record when playing inside the arena. Combined with the three road games against Minnesota in her college career, she went 9-0 in the state since she put on a Hawkeyes uniform. She moved to 10-0 when Indiana beat the Lynx on July 14, but the winning streak finally came to a halt Saturday night.

The first quarter was shaky for Indiana and Clark; the team was 0-for-7 from 3-point land in the first 10 minutes while the Fever’s star rookie was 1-for-8 from the field. Meanwhile, Minnesota was knocking down shots at will with six made 3-pointers to build out a 13-point lead.

It was a completely different Fever team in the second quarter. It felt like Indiana couldn’t miss anything. Clark started to heat up and the Fever ended the half on a 21-9 run, capped off by a signature Clark 3-pointer in the final seconds to make it a one-point game at halftime.

Minnesota stretched the lead back to double-digits in the third quarter. The Lynx scored on their first five possessions of the quarter and started the second half on a 16-5 run. 

Indiana tried to close the gap for the remainder of the game, cutting the deficit to as little as three points. But Minnesota countered with its own run, pushing the lead to as much as 15 points, to prevent the comeback. The Lynx led for all but the first minute-and-a-half of the game.

Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier finished the night as the leading scorer with 31 points.

Caitlin Clark stats

Clark finished the night with 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting, including 3-for-8 from 3-point land. She also had eight assists, five rebounds, one steal and seven turnovers. Her best quarter was the second, when she had nine points (four of her five shot attempts in the frame went in).

Indiana’s next game is Monday night on the road against the Atlanta Dream.

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TAMMY BRUCE: An open letter to the Kennedys who turned on RFK Jr

On the day Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed former president Donald Trump for the presidency, one would expect an outcry from the usual suspects. After all, this is politics. But the most malicious response came from Kennedy’s own family.

For daring to follow his conscience, Bobby was condemned by his siblings in a public statement promoted publicly by his sister Kerry Kennedy, and posted on the social media platform X. Kerry, who dropped the ‘Cuomo’ from her name after her 2005 divorce from Andrew, was the spearpoint of the denunciation within which they excoriated Bobby for betraying ‘the values that our father and family hold most dear.’

Values are worth talking about, and in the midst of this extraordinary time for our country, a response had to made, which I originally posted on X. 

Here is that Open Letter to Kerry Kennedy:

You people are awful. Despite your family’s checkered past and horrible behavior of so many of the men, Americans have stood with you out of loyalty, sentimentality, and too often, grief. Despite the questionable establishment of your family’s wealth, the treatment of Marilyn Monroe, the general womanizing, the abandonment of Mary Jo Kopechne to her death, allegations of rape, one could go on and on, but the point is your family has stayed loyal and protective of family members who have done the most appalling of things. But the moment one of your own acts on his conscience for this country you attempt to throw him to the wolves and publicly condemn him. Never a word for the trail of abused or abandoned women left behind by a Kennedy, but because one of your men supports Trump in an effort to make the lives of Americans better, that alone is beyond the pale.

In your ugly treatment of your brother, you reveal the rot that has broken the hearts of the American people so many times over the years. Beyond that, the economic destruction of American families is something your family would never truly understand. You are not touched by the worry about having enough gas to get to work, or whether or not you can afford eggs this week, if you’ll be safe walking in your own neighborhood, or if your child will be safe in their urban public school or even if they will know how to read and write while collecting their diploma.

You keep doing civil rights work and public service virtue signaling. But in the meantime, make a pledge to not keep doing damage, as Americans are simply looking for a way to reclaim their own futures, the safety of their families, and knowing that maybe, just maybe, they can leave their children a little better off with a future they can rely on. The condition of this country should shock everyone, even if their name is Kennedy. We know it at least shocks one of you who, like us, has had enough of the fear and hopelessness assigned to us for generations.

Americans are happy to see Bobby on our side as we refuse to comply and will not go gentle into the catastrophes to which we are expected to succumb. Instead, with Trump and all who join us, we will fight, fight, fight!

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Harris’ push for electric vehicles suffers another blow after automaker backtracks: ‘Unwanted and unworkable’

The car industry is backing away from rolling out electric vehicles in favor of hybrid options, indicating more defeats to the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to force EV sales on American buyers. 

Ford announced last week that the car giant is changing its electric vehicle strategy and backing away from its planned all-electric, three-row SUV, instead favoring the creation of hybrid vehicles for its next rollout of three-row SUVs. 

‘Our focus here is to remake Ford into a higher-growth, higher-margin, more capital-efficient and durable business, and that means these vehicles need to be profitable,’ John Lawler, Ford vice chair and chief financial officer, said on a call with media Wednesday morning. ‘And if they’re not profitable, based on where the customer is in the market is, we will pivot and adjust and make those tough decisions.’

The announcement is a blow to left-wing electric car initiatives, many of which have been promoted by Harris across her last three and a half years as vice president. 

‘It is abundantly clear that the federal government’s push to ram electric vehicles down everyone’s throat was unwanted and unworkable. The mandates forced on Americans under Biden-Harris will dismantle what remains of Michigan’s industrial base, destroy American jobs, and make us more dependent on Communist China,’ Republican Michigan congressional candidate Tom Barrett told Fox News Digital in reaction to Dearborn-based Ford’s move last week. ‘In Congress, I will continue my fight to protect the rights of consumers to purchase the vehicle that meet their needs and their family’s budget, not the social engineering agenda of bureaucrats in Washington.’

Fox News Digital examined Harris’ record and involvement with the electric vehicle push and programs amid her vice presidency, and found the Democrat has had a heavy hand in promoting the end to traditional gas-powered vehicles. Harris ascended to the top of the Democratic presidential ticket last month, after President Biden exited the race amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity and 81 years of age. 

Stretching back to her Senate career, Harris was one of the original co-signers of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Edward Markey’s, D-Mass., 2019 Green New Deal legislation, which worked to establish a blueprint to shift the nation to 100% ‘clean energy’ by 2040. The measure failed in the Senate. 

After the Biden-Harris ticket won the 2020 election, Harris continued spearheading climate change initiatives, most notably taking charge of the Clean School Bus program. The EPA-backed program was created nearly three years ago as a provision under the Biden administration’s 2021 infrastructure bill, and allocated $5 billion for the program. The EPA has since made $1 billion in grants available to help deliver nearly 2,500 electric school buses to school districts across the nation. 

Harris and EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan were touted by the federal government as the point people for the program, but it has only delivered 60 battery-electric or low-emissions propane-fueled school buses, the Washington Free Beacon reported last month. 

‘Every school day, 25 million children ride our nation’s largest form of mass transit: the school bus. The vast majority of those buses run on diesel, exposing students, teachers, and bus drivers to toxic air pollution,’ Harris said of the program earlier this year. ‘Today, we are announcing nearly $1 billion to fund clean school buses across the nation. As part of our work to tackle the climate crisis, the historic funding we are announcing today is an investment in our children, their health, and their education. It also strengthens our economy by investing in American manufacturing and America’s workforce.’

Amid the bus plan rollout, Harris found herself in a viral moment in 2022, when she visited a Seattle school to promote the program and gushed about her love of yellow school buses – comments that were subsequently mocked on social media. 

‘Who doesn’t love a yellow school bus, right? Can you raise your hand if you love a yellow school bus? Many of us went to school on the yellow school bus, right? It’s part of our experience growing up. It’s part of a nostalgia, a memory of the excitement and joy of going to school to be with your favorite teacher, to be with your best friends and to learn. The school bus takes us there,’ Harris said in the rambling remarks. 

Critics quickly shot back that Democrats ‘really can’t let [Harris] talk in public about anything.’ 

‘Democrats have been hiding Kamala, but she just had a press conference and talked about yellow school buses and my goodness they really can’t let her talk in public about anything,’ OutKick founder Clay Travis posted on X at the time. 

‘Selina Meyer,’ The Federalist author Eddie Scarry tweeted, referencing Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ character on the HBO comedy ‘Veep.’

Republican activist Matthew Foldi tweeted, ‘Find yourself someone who loves you as much as Kamala Harris loves Venn diagrams and yellow school buses.’

CNN contributor Mary Katherine Ham also joked, ‘Please sing Wheels on the Bus, please sing Wheels on the Bus.’

Harris was in fact caught on camera awkwardly singing ‘the wheels on the bus go round and round,’ in another viral moment. 

Harris was also charged with helping lead the ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan’ in December 2021, to ensure 50% of car sales were electric vehicles by 2030. The Biden-Harris administration further cracked down on the plan this year with one of the most significant climate regulations in U.S. history – it would force half of all new cars and trucks sold in 2030 to be electric. 

‘Together, we’ve made historic progress. Hundreds of new expanded factories across the country. Hundreds of billions in private investment and thousands of good-paying union jobs. And we’ll meet my goal for 2030 and race forward in the years ahead,’ Biden said in March of the plan. 

The $7.5 billion federal program, which was part of 2021’s infrastructure bill, aimed to install half a million EV charging stations across the nation, but has only produced as many as eight federal charging stations as of May. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was confronted with the lack of charging stations in May on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation,’ when host Margaret Brennan grilled him as to why only up to eight stations had been installed. 

‘Now, in order to do a charger, it’s more than just plugging a small device into the ground,’ the secretary said. ‘There’s utility work, and this is also really a new category of federal investment. But we’ve been working with each of the 50 states.’

‘Seven or eight, though?’ Brennan said with a laugh.

‘Again, by 2030, 500,000 chargers,’ Buttigieg said. ‘And the very first handful of chargers are now already being physically built.’

Car industry leaders have long argued that the push by Democrats – most notably the Biden-Harris administration – for EVs was rolled out too quickly and will likely fail. 

‘The problem with the whole EV movement is that there was a colossal amount of hype behind it, largely from what I like to call the liberal mainstream media, making it sound like everybody’s next vehicle was going to be an EV,’ former Ford, Chrysler and General Motors executive Bob Lutz told Fox Digital in April. ‘And of course, the government was pushing it, because of their climate change policies. And it just plain wasn’t going to happen.’

‘And yes, it did come too soon and too fast,’ he added. 

Earlier this year, data found that electric vehicles were eating into Ford’s profit margin. Ford Model e, the company’s EV division, had a net loss of $4.7 billion last year – with $1.6 billion of that in the last quarter – and Ford’s chief financial officer John Lawler explained during the company’s earnings call in February that both ‘the quarter and year were impacted by challenging market dynamics and investments in next-generation vehicles.’ 

Ford, which is the second-largest EV brand in the nation behind Tesla, said last week when announcing its shift in its EV strategy that it will face a $400 million write-down of ‘certain product-specific manufacturing assets’ for canceling the EV SUV. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Ford Sunday for additional comment on its future with EVs, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

As Democrats continue championing the frenzied electric vehicle push, former President Trump has vowed to end the Biden administration’s ‘mandate’ increasing the sales of electric vehicles. 

‘I will end the electric vehicle mandate on day one. Thereby saving the U.S. auto industry from complete obliteration, which is happening right now, and saving U.S. customers thousands and thousands of dollars per car,’ he said from the RNC in Milwaukee last month. 

Trump again discussed electric vehicles in his interview with Tesla founder Elon Musk earlier this month. Musk’s Tesla is the nation’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer. Trump explained that Musk’s cars are ‘incredible,’ but that fossil fuels are deeply intertwined with even building EVs and that the U.S. needs to ‘drill, baby, drill.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on the state of EVs just days after she accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination, but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News’ Kristen Altus and Eric Revell contributed to this report. 

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Graham: Israel should threaten to ‘blow up’ Iran’s oil refineries if hostages don’t come home

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recommended that Israel threaten to ‘blow up’ Iran’s oil refineries if the remaining hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 terrorist attack are not released soon. 

Appearing on CNN’s ‘State of the Union,’ Graham was asked to respond to Israel’s military reporting that it launched preemptive strikes that struck and destroyed thousands of Hezbollah rocket launchers in Lebanon before a planned attack on Israel this weekend, as well as the hostage and cease-fire talks that are resuming in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday. 

‘How should the U.S. respond to what’s going on in the Middle East? And what is your message to get the cease-fire and hostage release deal across the finish line?’ CNN’s Jake Tapper asked the senator. 

‘Well, number one, I think we got to remember that October the 7th attack was generated, in my view, to stop normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. It’s a nightmare for Iran and her proxies, for the Arabs and Israelis to reconcile and make peace and take the region in a different direction,’ Graham said. ‘As to the hostages, I would hold Iran responsible for their well-being.’

‘If I were the state of Israel, I would tell the ayatollah, if these people do not come home alive – the ones that are left alive – and if we don’t get the bodies of the fallen, we’re going to blow up your oil refineries,’ Graham added. ‘That’s the only way you’re ever going to get the hostages released is to put pressure on Iran.’ 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed more ‘surprising blows’ against Iran-backed terrorist groups after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck launch sites in Lebanon just minutes before Hezbollah was planning to fire thousands of rockets into central Israel.

 ‘What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early in the morning,’ Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Tel Aviv. ‘We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful preemptive strike to remove the threat.’ 

Michael Herzog, Israeli ambassador to the United States, said in an appearance on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’ that the IDF operation prevented a wider conflict. 

‘We identified concrete planning and preparation by Hezbollah to launch a massive missile and drone attack into Israel,’ Herzog said. ‘And we carried the real-time operation in order to degrade those capabilities that were about to be launched as well. We were successful. And nevertheless, they launched several hundred rockets into Israel and also drones that were aimed at central Israel. And we intercepted all of them. One of our soldiers was killed by the debris of Israeli interceptors.’ 

‘I believe that the success of our operation yesterday prevented an escalation to a major war,’ he added. ‘This threat is still there. We still need a settlement with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.’ 

Israel faces Iran-backed terrorist groups on multiple fronts: Hamas in Gaza, Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The war in Gaza began when Hamas and other terrorists staged a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people, primarily civilians. Hamas is believed to still be holding around 110 hostages. Israeli authorities estimate about a third are dead.

Israel’s military announced the deaths of four more soldiers in combat in central Gaza on Friday.

In Egypt, the U.S. delegation, led by CIA Director William Burns and White House Middle East adviser Brett McGurk, held talks with senior Egyptian officials and then with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, according to a person familiar with the ongoing talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly.

The Egyptian and Qatari negotiators were expected to meet with Hamas officials on Saturday evening. Hamas won’t take part directly in Sunday’s talks but will be briefed by Egypt and Qatar, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawy told The Associated Press. Merdawy said Hamas’ position hadn’t changed from accepting an earlier draft that would include the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

An Israeli delegation that arrived Thursday included the heads of the Mossad foreign intelligence service and Shin Bet security service and Maj. Gen. Eliezer Toledano.

The U.S. has been pushing a proposal that aims at closing the gaps between Israel and Hamas as fears grow over a wider regional war after the recent killings of leaders of the Hamas and Hezbollah terrorist groups, both blamed on Israel.

President Biden called Netanyahu on Wednesday to stress the urgency of reaching a deal and discussed developments with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III fight: Round-by-round analysis

The rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and John Gotti III included no brawl. Just more Mayweather domination.

And boos.

The crowd voiced its displeasure after the eight-round exhibition in Mexico City.

There were no knockdowns. No glassy-eyed looks. No staggering. 

Because the fight was an exhibition, it was not officially scored. But Mayweather, 47, dominated Gotti, 31, the grandson of late crime boss John Gotti. Mayweather was able to hit Gotti with relative ease and connected plenty — but he never rocked his opponent.

‘Gotti is tough as nails.” Mayweather said after the fight. 

Mayweather praised Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., who was there as part of the broadcast team, then said “Mexico City, I love you guys. Thanks for coming out.’’

The fans cheered.

The first fight between Mayweather and Gotti, in June 2023, ended in a brawl after the referee stopped the fight in the sixth round because of excessive trash talk and holding. Gotti maneuvered around the referee and threw punches at Mayweather and members of the fighters’ camps flooded into the ring as a melee broke out.

There were moments of tension Saturday. Gotti grew agitated when the rounds, which were supposed to be two minutes, ran long. And Mayweather looked angry when the referee warned him about punches to the back of Gotti’s head. In fact, a new referee entered the ring. 

But it was largely peaceful — more peaceful than the crowd hoped for, seemingly — and it ended with Mayweather and Gotti embracing.

‘He’s my guy,’ Mayweather said of Gotti, with his arm around his opponent. ‘But we had to put on a show for the people. And I want to thank Gotti for being a man of his word and we ran it back twice.”

Gotti said Mayweather ‘hit hard.’

‘He’s still got it,’ Gotti said.

What’s next for Floyd Mayweather?

Not an exhibition with Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.

During an in-ring interview after the fight, Mayweather embraced the 62-year-old Chavez.

“He’s one of the legends I look up to and he paved the way for me,’’ Mayweather said.

But the two getting into the ring to box? “He’s older now, and if I do an exhibition with him it’s not going to look good for me,’’ Mayweather said.

Earlier this week, Mayweather said he’d been offered a deal for three more exhibitions but provided no additional details. 

“We just got a call about a three-exhibition deal and it’s a crazy number. …So, we don’t know,’ Mayweather said.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III, exhibition

The Floyd Mayweather-John Gotti fight will not be officially scored because it’s an exhibition. USA TODAY Sports’ boxing analyst Josh Peter will score the contest.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 1

Floyd has the high guard up. He and Gotti at center of ring. Lands a counter right and throws an overhand right. He’s letting his fists go early. Gotti lands right hand to body. Crowd whistling. Floyd dancing. Gotti looks tentative. Gotti complaining. The round went long, but it belongs to Floyd. Floyd 10, Gotti 9.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 2

Floyd upset as he’s warned for a behind-the-head shot. Very agitated. In fact, Floyd pushed the referee out of the way. A member of Gotti’s team gets into the ring and Floyd smiles. A new referee enters the ring. Fighters brought together and it looks civil as the action resumes. Floyd instantly looks in control again. Floyd and Gotti tap gloves as the round ends. Floyd 20, Gotti 18.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 3

Gotti still looking apprehensive. Now Floyd attacking Gotti. Gotti a punching bag on the ropes before Floyd backs away. Gotti rushes in and flies back as Floyd ducks, like a matador avoiding a bull. Floyd 30, Gotti 27.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 4

Change in plan. Gotti stalking. But still not throwing punches. Eats one. A Floyd left. Gotti lets two rights fly, but neither land. Floyd softer around the middle than I’ve seen in a while. But showing quickness with his punches and puckishness as he sticks out his tongue to someone in the crowd. Floyd 40, Gotti 36.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 5

Crowd whistling. Not with pleasure. Gotti not putting up much of a fight. Floyd 50, Gotti 45.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 6

Gotti looks more focused on dodging punches than landing punches. And Floyd is all too happy to dictate the action. Gotti lands a left to the body and Floyd responds with his own body shot. Crowd whistling, then booing. Floyd grins. Floyd 60, Gotti 54.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 7

Floyd landing head shots. Throwing with more velocity. Gotti has Floyd on the ropes, but not long enough to capitalize. Floyd lands some big punches. Almost using his fist like a hammer. Crowd is not pleased. Whistling. Gotti looks almost lifeless. Or without a plan. Floyd 70, Gotti 63.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. John Gotti III: Round 8

The two trade stiff jabs. And the crowd boos. Floyd showing more power, but now Gotti’s complaining about shots behind the head again. Floyd looks amused. Floyd sticks out his tongue. A smile creeps onto Gotti’s face, too. Floyd talking to Gotti’s corner. Bell rings and the boxers embrace. Floyd 80, Gotti 72.

Floyd Mayweather playing mind games?

John Gotti III paraded to the ring, made his entrance and the wait began.

Three minutes. Three more. Gotti paced.

And finally came Mayweather, draped in a Mexican-flag poncho bearing the acronym TBE. The Best Ever. 

Alan Picasso vs. Azat Hovhannisyan, super bantamweight 

Round 1: The lanky Picasso firing the left jab early. “Picasso!’’ chants the crowd in his hometown of Mexico City. Hovhannisyan lands body shots and Picasso lands clean shots to the head. Picasso 10, Hovhannisyan 9.

Round 2: Picasso digging in with some left hooks to Hovhannisyan’s body. Hovhannisyan responds with body work too. Picasso ups the ante, connecting to Hovhannisyan’s head. Picasso feeling those shots but scoring with his left. Picasso 20, Hovhannisyan 18.

Round 3: Picasso showing more speed and power as he throws upper cuts. Hovhannisyan pushes back and backs up Picasso with a flurry of punches. Picasso making good use of his left. Picasso 30, Hovhannisyan 27.

Round 4: Picasso unleashing and landing some wicked lefts. Grunting as he lets those punches sail. Hovhannisyan standing his ground and counters with stinging left hooks. Picasso 39, Hovhannisyan 37.

Round 5: Wasting no time, the fighters engaged in another wicked exchange. Picasso the victim of a second low blow and a point is taken away from Hovhannisyan. Hovhannisyan goes back to the body and another lands just below Picasso’s beltline. Picasso finishes the round with a flurry of punches. Picasso 49, Hovhannisyan 45.

Round 6: Hovhannisyan’s body work could pay off later, but it’s Picasso’s left and combinations that look most impressive. Hovhannisyan punishes Picasso with a flurry as the round ends. Picasso 58, Hovhannisyan 55.

Round 7: No holding back here. Picasso let his fists fly, and Hovhannisyan firing back with left hooks and some body shots. The swelling on Hovhannisyan’s face is crying out for ice. Picasso 68, Hovhannisyan 64.

Round 8: Picasso comes out firing and the pace becomes unrelenting. The crowd loves it. Hovhannisyan is up to the challenge and now goes on the attack. The chants start up again: “Picasso! Picasso!” Picasso 78, Hovhannisyan 73.

Round 9: Picasso’s pace slows a little, and Hovhannisyan shows more energy – and fires away. More chants of “Picasso,’’ but it’s Hovhannisyan’s round thanks to two huge left hooks in the final seconds. Picasso 87, Hovhannisyan 83. 

Round 10: Hovhannisyan swings for the fences. Misses. Picasso’s got him doing a lot of missing here. Picasso 97, Hovhannisyan 92.

Round 11: Picasso’s pace has slowed. Hovhannisyan powering forward – right into a left hook. Picasso 107,  Hovhannisyan 101.

Round 12: Picasso wraps up Hovhannisyan in a hug. They’re pulled apart and he ties him up again. He clearly knows he’s ahead on the scorecards and to win he needs to end the round on his feet. Hovhannisyan swinging for the fences but Picasso staying active and mobile. Picasso 116, Hovhannisyan 111.

Alan Picasso def. Azat Hovhannisyan by unanimous decision

It was not a Picasso masterpiece, but it was artful enough to see why he could be a future champion.

Picasso absorbed punishing body shots from a seasoned veteran, and he fired with whistling lefts and rights that left Hovhannisyan’s face badly swollen.

The most pivotal punch might have been a low blow from Hovhannisyan in the fifth round. It cost him a point deduction, riled up the pro-Picasso crowd and spurred the 24-year-old fighter who delighted the fans – and impressed the judges.

The judges scored the bout 118-110, 118-110, 120-108 for Picasso.

Picasso, 24, improved to 29-0-1. Hovhannisyan, 36, fell to 21-5.

Curmel Moton vs. Victor Vazquez, lightweight 

Round 1: Moton out assertively behind his jab. Staggers Vazquez and then drops him! It’s over.

Curmel Moton def. Victor Vazquez by knockout

Moton needed less than a minute to flatten Vazquez and demonstrate why at 18 he’s one of the top prospects in boxing.

He unleashed a brutal three-punch combination that dropped Vazquez to the canvas, and the referee halted the fight with only 55 seconds having elapsed in the lightweight bout.

Mentored by Floyd Mayweather Jr., Moton has fought five times in less than a year and delivered his fourth knockout.

The one thing worth noting: Vazquez (5-3-1) was coming back from an eight-year layoff. It would be no surprise if Moton’s KO combo keeps him away from the ring even longer.

Victor Ortiz vs. Damian Coria, exhibition

The Floyd Mayweather-John Gotti fight will not be officially scored because it’s an exhibition. The same is true for the co-main between Ortiz and Coria. USA TODAY Sports’ boxing analyst Josh Peter will score the fights.

Round 1: Both boxers wearing lime green boxing gloves. Exhibition gloves? It’s an exhibition pace. Both landed left hands, but Ortiz’s moved the flesh farther. Ortiz 10, Coria 9. 

Round 2: Coria clearly showing more speed. But no evidence that he plans to exploit it beyond controlling this round. Ortiz 19, Coria 19.

Round 3: Whistles from the crowd. The fans want more. They’ve got restrictor plates on these punches. We’re seeing limited speed and limited power. Coria 29, Ortiz 28. 

Round 4: They meet in the middle and let their fists fly, without fury. Crowd is chanting. They do not sound happy. Coria again showing superior quickness. The round ends and Ortiz grins as he taps gloves (yes, lime) with Coria. Coria 39, Ortiz 37.

Round 5: Would like to see how much power Ortiz has left in those gloves. Doubtful we’re going to see it, but he does land a couple of solid punches. Coria 48, Ortiz 47. 

Round 6: Ortiz’s smile at the end of the round is bigger than any of his punches during the round. Coria at least looks half serious. Coria 58, Ortiz 56. 

Round 7: Coria catches Ortiz with a solid right. Ortiz counters. Coria shows more flashes of speed. The crowd does not sound satisfied. Coria 68, Ortiz 65.

Round 8: Ortiz eats a left, and Coria feeds him a few more punches. Definite snap on those punches, but the action slows again. The round ends and Ortiz gives Coria a kiss on the cheek. Coria 78, Ortiz 74.

Ortiz-Coria bout not a crowd pleaser

Victor Ortiz and Damian Coria might have set a boxing record for most punches pulled during a fight in Mexico City.

Too many to count.

When the eight-round exhibition ended – without injury or insult – the plump, 37-year-old Ortiz kissed Coria on the check.

Fans booed.

Arlenn Sanchez vs. Cecilia Rodriguez, light flyweight

Round 1: Arlenn Sanchez steps into the ring less than a week after taking the fight. She stays busy with body shots, but Cecilia Rodriguez capitalizes on her reach advantage. Rodriguez 10, Sanchez 9. 

Round 2: Sanchez unloading punches, but not with much force and she already looks fatigued. Rodriguez lands enough clean shots to win the round. Rodriguez 20, Sanchez 18.

Round 3: Sanchez might as well put pillows on the end of her boxing gloves. Rodriguez showing no fear of her punches and she’s landing a barrage of clean shots, including several uppercuts. Rodriguez 30, Sanchez 27.

Round 4: Sanchez out with more authority. Spirited exchanges commence. Sanchez leaning in and finding more power. Rodriguez answers with a solid left, but Sanchez dictated most of the action. Rodriguez 39, Sanchez 37. 

Round 5: Sanchez the aggressor and again leaning in. Rodriguez connecting with the left but struggling to slow Sanchez. Rodriguez 48, Sanchez 47.

Round 6: Rodriguez using her length again. Sanchez warned for landing punches behind Rodriguez’s head. Sanchez slowing again, and Rodriguez lands a flurry. Rodriguez 58, Sanchez 56.  

Round 7: Rodriguez unloading fierce punches. Sanchez still coming forward. Definitely paying for it. Lands punches, but eats more. Rodriguez 68, Sanchez 65.

Round 8: Sanchez looks lively and remains the aggressor. Takes two uppercuts from Rodriguez and yet still moving forward and throwing punches. But Rodriguez firing the harder and more precise punches. Rodriguez 78, Sanchez 74.

Cecilia Rodriguez def. Arlenn Sanchez by unanimous decision 

Sanchez took the fight on short notice. She won admiration, but not the fight.

Though Sanchez showed spirit and determination, Rodriguez landed more shots and with precision in the eight-round, light flyweight bout.

The judges scored it 78-74, 80-72 and 79-74 in Rodriguez’s favor.

Rodriguez, 24, earned a unanimous decision and improved to 14-1-1. Sanchez, 26, fell to 5-7-4.

Luis Rodriguez vs. Cesar Vaca, super middleweight 

Round 1: Cesar Vaca wearing pink gloves and Luis Rodriguez wearing bright yellow ones. More yellow lands, slightly. Rodriguez 10, Vaca 9.

Round 2: Vaca opens up and absorbs a big left from Rodriguez as a result. Vaca stays aggressive and lands two uppercuts. Lands another combo and evades any punishing blows. Rodriguez 19, Vaca 19.

Round 3: Vaca showing good footwork and quickness, and it’s spared him from Rodriguez’s powerful left. Vaca throwing punches and staying on the move. Vaca 29, Rodriguez 28.

Round 4: Vaca comes out staying on the move, bouncing left and right, and firing punches. Rodriguez patiently looking for an opening. Too patiently, perhaps. Vaca tags Rodriguez, but crowd lets loose with a few boos as Vaca backpedals. Vaca 39, Rodriguez 37.

Round 5: Referee quickly stops the action to mop up Vaseline from Vaca’s forehead. But that’s not what’s making Vaca look so slippery. Still bouncing on his toes and landing the right. Rodriguez looks baffled. Vaca 49, Rodriguez 46.

Round 6: Rodriguez targeting the body, with minimal success. Vaca sticks with his game plan. He’s moving side to side and firing quick punches. Rodriguez lands several rights to the body. Vaca 58, Rodriguez 56.

Round 7: Rodriguez waving Vaca forward. He wants action. Vaca stays on the move. Rodriguez waves his arms in frustration. Vaca now going to be a stationary target. Rodriguez lands a combination late. Vaca 68, Rodriguez 65.

Round 8: Rodriguez appears to be trying to draw in Vaca and counterpunch. But the strategy not paying off, as Vaca exploits his quickness and footwork. Rodriguez running out of time – and ideas. Vaca 78, Rodriguez 74.  

Round 9: Rodriguez again expresses frustration with Vaca’s seemingly constant movement. But it’s more than a way to evade punches. Vaca’s landing punches, too. Vaca 88, Rodriguez 83. 

Round 10: Vaca could take the round off. Instead, he’s still landing punches. Rodriguez simply can’t catch him. Vaca would be making Floyd Mayweather proud with this combination of wise defense and opportunistic punching. Vaca 98, Rodriguez 92. 

Cesar Vaca def. Luis Rodriguez by majority decision

Rodriguez entered the bout as an emerging knockout artist. He got beat by a boxing artist.

With great footwork, defense and hand speed, Vaca evaded Rodriguez’s powerful left and landed a steady diet of crisp punches during the 10-round super middleweight bout.

The judges scored it 95-95, 97-94 and 98-92 in favor of Vaca, who improved to 17-1-1. Rodriguez fell to 15-1.

Aaron Silva vs. Alberto Artiga, super middleweight

Round 1: Alberto Artiga took the fight on 24 hours’ notice, according to DAZN, and he looks like he’s been in training for, well, several hours. Aaron Silva, on the other hand, clearly has spent more time in the gym than at the buffet. He hands a powerful right. Silva 10, Artiga 9.

Round 2: Silva stalking and lands a big shot. It’s a hard left that almost drops Artiga. The ropes may have saved Artiga, but those ropes might not be so generous moving forward. Silva 20, Artiga 18. 

Round 3: Silva comes out quick and punishes Artiga with a barrage of punches, prompting the referee to stop the fight. As predicted, the ropes do not save Artiga again as Silva wins by TKO.

Aaron Silva def. Alberto Artiga by TKO

Artiga came out wearing trunks that on the front read: “Pollo.’’

He was no chicken, taking the fight on 24 hours’ notice, and he had no chance.

Silva bloodied Artiga in the third round of their super middleweight fight and after a barrage of punches the referee stopped the fight.

Silva, 27, improved to 15-1. Artiga, 33, fell to 6-14.

Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III predictions 

Hector Franco, FanSided MMA: With added motivation of personal animosity, look for the Hall-of-Famer to be more gung-ho with his punches and stop Gotti before the eight-round distance. Prediction: Mayweather by stoppage. 

Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report: Mayweather will take a cautious approach in the early rounds, allow Gotti to entertain the crowd with some offense, but Mayweather will be able to turn up the heat whenever he wants. Prediction: Fight goes the distance. 

Josh Peter, USA TODAY Sports: Mayweather will go on the attack earlier than usual to ensure he ends the fight rather than allowing the referee to step in prematurely again. Prediction: Mayweather by TKO, 6th round. 

Floyd Mayweather takes shot at Mexican legend

This week, a reporter asked Mayweather about a supposed rumor Mayweather would fight Julio Cesar Chavez in an exhibition.

“The father or the son or both in one night?’’ Mayweather cracked.

The reporter said he was referring to Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., 62. Not Chavez’s 38-year-old son.

Replied Mayweather, “Well, do you want me to use one hand? I can use no hands.’’

When is Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight?

The main card starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight is expected to begin at about midnight ET.

Where is Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight?

Mexico City

What time is Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight?

The Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight is expected to begin at about midnight ET.

How to watch Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III fight

DAZN. PPV is $49.99 (plus subscription).

Follow Josh Peter on social media @joshlpeter11

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JD Vance vows Trump would not impose federal abortion ban, veto it if comes across desk

Ohio Sen. JD Vance vowed that former President Trump would not impose a federal abortion ban if re-elected to the Oval Office, adding that he would veto such a measure if it were to come across his desk. 

‘Democrats made the case this week, and beyond this week, that Donald Trump, if elected, will impose a federal ban on abortion if he wins. Now, Donald Trump says he won’t. But can you commit, senator, sitting right here with me today, that if you and Donald Trump are elected, that you will not impose a federal ban on abortion?’ ‘Meet the Press’ host Kristen Welker asked Vance in an interview that aired Sunday. 

‘I can absolutely commit to that, Kristen. Donald Trump has been as clear about that as possible. I think it’s important to step back and say, ‘What does Donald Trump actually said on the abortion question, and how is it different from what Kamala Harris and the Democrats have said?’ Donald Trump wants to end this culture war over this particular topic.’

‘If… California wants to have a different abortion policy from Ohio, then Ohio has to respect California, and California has to respect Ohio. Donald Trump’s view is that we want the individual states and their individual cultures and their unique political sensibilities to make these decisions, because we don’t want to have a non-stop federal conflict over this issue. The federal government ought to be focused on getting food prices down, getting housing prices down. Issues, of course, where Kamala Harris has been a total disaster,’ Vance continued. 

Welker pressed Vance about Republicans who say they will continue to lobby Trump for a federal abortion ban if the 45th president is re-elected, asking Vance if Trump would veto such legislation in that scenario. 

‘I think we need to be very clear he would not support that,’ Vance said. 

‘But would he veto it?’ Welker pressed. 

‘If you’re not supporting it as the president of the United States, you fundamentally have to veto it,’ Vance said. 

‘So he would veto a federal abortion ban?’ Welker again asked. 

‘I think he would, he said that explicitly that he would,’ Vance continued. 

Vance’s interview followed Democrats holding their convention in Chicago last week, when Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted her nomination for the presidential ticket. Democrats have increasingly campaigned against Trump by arguing he would impose a federal abortion ban if re-elected, which Harris cited in her acceptance speech on Thursday evening. 

‘Children who have survived sexual assault, potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump. And understand, he is not done. As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress,’ Harris said. 

Trump has denied that he would impose a federal abortion ban, instead advocating that abortion laws be left up to individual states. During his presidency, Trump had called on Congress to pass a 20-week ban on abortions. 

The GOP’s 2024 platform notably only mentions abortion once, instead focusing on the preservation of life and returning power to the states when developing laws surrounding abortion.

‘We proudly stand for families and Life. We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights. After 51 years, because of us, that power has been given to the States and to a vote of the People. We will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments). 5. will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF (fertility treatments),’ the platform states. 

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Netanyahu vows more ‘surprising blows’ after Israel thwarted ‘thousands’ of Hezbollah rockets: ‘Not the end’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed more ‘surprising blows’ against Iran-backed terrorist groups after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck launch sites in Lebanon just minutes before Hezbollah was planning to fire thousands of rockets into central Israel. 

‘What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early in the morning,’ Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Tel Aviv Sunday morning. ‘We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful pre-emptive strike to remove the threat.’ 

‘The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and they were all intended to harm our citizens and our forces in Galilee,’ he continued. ‘In addition, the IDF intercepted all the UAVs that Hezbollah launched for a strategic purpose in the center of the country. We are hitting Hezbollah with surprising blows…. Three weeks ago, we eliminated his chief of staff, and today, we foiled his attack plan.’ 

‘Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the way to change the situation in the north and return our residents safely to their homes,’ Netanyahu added. ‘And I repeat – this is not the end of the story.’ 

In an earlier statement, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said President Biden ‘is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon.’

‘He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening. At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts. We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability,’ Savett added.

It was national security adviser Jake Sullivan leading those updates to Biden throughout the night, officials tell Fox News. 

After Hezbollah announced last night that their attack was over, White House officials said they will keep monitoring the situation.

‘There are no indications right now that another round is coming,’ one official told Fox News. 

A Western intelligence official told the New York Times that Israel’s preemptive attack targeted and destroyed missile launchers in Lebanon that had been programmed to fire at 5 a.m. toward Tel Aviv. 

The IDF were able to carry out a preemptive attack on thousands of rocket launchers in Lebanon after information gathered from Israeli intelligence agencies, including the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), found Hezbollah was planning to use them to target strategic military sites in central Israel, including in the Gush Dan region, the Israeli English-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. 

The IDF also intercepted drones traveling from Lebanon that were intended to target central Israel, according to the newspaper. 

Approximately 100 Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, directed by IDF intelligence, struck and destroyed ‘thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels that were located and embedded in southern Lebanon,’ the IDF said earlier. ‘Most of these launchers were aimed toward northern Israel and some were aimed toward central Israel, and more than 40 launch areas in Lebanon were struck during the strikes.’ 

The IDF said its forces struck Hezbollah launchers in several areas in southern Lebanon to remove threats and identified a terrorist cell operating in the area of Khiam in southern Lebanon. 

‘The IAF swiftly struck the terrorists,’ IDF wrote on X. 

At an earlier news briefing, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israeli forcesidentified ‘extensive preparation by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to fire toward the Israeli Home Front.’ 

‘After extensive identification, the IAF and Northern Command began proactively and broadly striking Hezbollah targets in order to remove the threats aimed at the citizens of Israel,’ Hagari said. ‘We are removing threats against the Israeli home front. Dozens of IAF jets are currently striking targets in various locations in southern Lebanon. We are continuing to remove threats, and to intensively strike against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.’

The Israeli military said it struck because Hezbollah was planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles toward Israel. Soon after, Hezbollah announced it had launched an attack on Israeli military positions as an initial response to the killing of Fouad Shukur, one of its founding members, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.

By mid-morning, it appeared that the exchange had ended, with both sides saying they had only aimed at military targets, according to The Associated Press. 

Israeli Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Hezbollah had intended to hit targets in northern and central Israel. He said initial assessments found ‘very little damage’ in Israel, but that the military remained on high alert. 

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that two people were killed and another two were wounded in the strikes in southern Lebanon. 

Separately, a fighter for the Amal group, which is allied with Hezbollah, was killed in a strike on a car, Amal said.

Hezbollah said its attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets aimed at multiple sites in Israel, and a ‘large number’ of drones. It said the operation was targeting ‘a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later’ as well as ‘enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome (missile defense) platforms.’

Hezbollah said the strikes would allow it to launch more attacks deeper into Israel, but a later statement said that ‘military operations for today have been completed.’ The terrorist group said it targeted 11 bases, barracks and military positions in northern Israel, including the Golan Heights, and dismissed Israel’s claim to have thwarted a stronger attack. Hezbollah did not provide evidence for its claims.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was expected to give a speech later on Sunday.

After an emergency government meeting, Lebanon’s caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam said officials were ‘feeling a bit more optimistic’ about a de-escalation.

‘We feel more reassured since both sides confirmed that the expected operations ended, and we know that the negotiations in Cairo are very serious,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Egypt on Sunday is hosting high-level talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which diplomats hope will tamp down regional tensions.

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. is expected to make a trip to the Middle East to participate in negotiations. 

‘Over the next few days, the Chairman will visit key allies and partners in the region, Egypt, Jordan and Israel, as a display of the long-term U.S. commitment to the Middle East and to further his understanding of the various perspectives of ongoing tensions,’ Joint Staff spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey said in a statement Saturday. 

Fox News’ Yonat Friling, Lucas Tomlinson, Kate Sprague and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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Colorado coach Deion Sanders addresses ‘outside noise’

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders said Saturday he doesn’t really care about external criticism and doesn’t let it affect him even though his football program will no longer take questions from a journalist who has been critical of him at times.

Sanders was asked about his approach to “outside noise” at a news conference Saturday in Boulder, five days before his team opens the season Thursday against North Dakota State. On Friday, Colorado said in a statement that it would no longer take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler after he wrote a “series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime.”

Sanders did not directly address the situation with Keeler but was asked about external criticism in general.

“You don’t care really because it don’t influence you,” Sanders said. “I’ve never read a article or a comment and said, ‘Oh, that’s gonna make me go harder.’ I’m gonna go hard regardless, but that comment just allowed me to know where you stand. So that’s the only differential of the thing. It doesn’t propel me. Where I came from propelled me. How I grew up propelled me. Like you know, being an African American, one of few that’s a head coach in college football, that kind of stuff propels me. It’s not what you say. That lets me know where you stand.”

What else did Sanders say about it?

A former Denver Post columnist, now with the Denver Gazette, asked Sanders a pointed question:

“If I ask a negative question, will you not answer them anymore?”

“That’s being negative right now,” Sanders replied. “Like you’re taking an approach that I’m going to be negative. I’m not negative to anybody in here. I would challenge you and ask you, ‘Why, or where is this coming from?’ I’m not built like that. I’m not built to hate. I’m not a hateful guy. I come with love. I think if anybody in here has had encounters with me, I don’t come with the bulljunk. I come with the peace and the joy. Now when you show me where you stand, I might have to change that a little bit, so I’m not going to match your ignorance.”

Sanders, 57, added that his “life is complete… What you say or do is not gonna change my life.”

Colorado won’t take questions from journalist who was critical of Deion Sanders

Sanders told Keeler in a news conference Aug. 9 that he was “always on the attack.” He declined to take a question from him then and also wouldn’t take question from a local CBS reporter then, either, because he said CBS had done something “foul.”

It’s not clear what CBS did to bother Sanders, but Keeler had written commentaries that pushed back on Sanders’ bold statements about his team and called him a “false prophet.”

Sanders finished 4-8 in his first season at Colorado, improving a program that finished 1-11 before his arrival in December 2022.

Sanders discusses game, future

Sanders also was asked if he feels persecuted by outside noise.

“I don’t know about persecuted,” Sanders said. “This is a way of life for me. You guys act like this is the first time I’ve been shot at. I’ve been lied on, cheated, talked about, mistreated. That’s a gospel song…This is not the first time for this, but as I mature, instead of shooting back or lashing or just dismissing you, I want to know why. Like, let’s help each other. Let’s figure out the why, because if understand the why in people, that helps you tremendously.”

Keeler offered to talk things over with Sanders Aug. 9 but it’s not clear if Sanders took him up on it.

Sanders otherwise didn’t get many questions about Thursday’s game, which will be televised on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET.

North Dakota State plays in the lower Football Championship Subdivision, which is limited to 63 scholarship players, compared to 85 at the major college level. But the Bison went to the FCS semifinals last year and finished 11-4. They were 60-10 in five seasons under previous head coach Matt Entz before he left in December to take an assistant coaching job at Southern California. Entz then was replaced by new head coach Tim Polasek, who previously was the offensive coordinator at Wyoming.

“This team will be well-prepared,” Sanders said. “They will be disciplined and they will come to play.”

It marks the start of the last college football season for Sanders’ sons at Colorado: quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders. But the father has plans beyond that.

“It’s not a last go-around for me,” Deion Sanders said. “I’m just getting started in this college football thing. “

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

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Netanyahu vows more ‘surprise blows’ after Israel thwarted ‘thousands’ of Hezbollah rockets: ‘Not the end’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed more ‘surprise blows’ against Iran-backed terrorist groups after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly struck launch sites in Lebanon just minutes before Hezbollah was planning to fire thousands of rockets into central Israel. 

‘What happened today is not the end of the story. Hezbollah tried to attack the State of Israel with rockets and drones early in the morning,’ Netanyahu said at a government meeting in Tel Aviv Sunday morning. ‘We instructed the IDF to carry out a powerful pre-emptive strike to remove the threat.’ 

‘The IDF destroyed thousands of short-range rockets, and they were all intended to harm our citizens and our forces in Galilee,’ he continued. ‘In addition, the IDF intercepted all the UAVs that Hezbollah launched for a strategic purpose in the center of the country. We are hitting Hezbollah with surprising blows…. Three weeks ago, we eliminated his chief of staff, and today, we foiled his attack plan.’ 

‘Nasrallah in Beirut and Khamenei in Tehran should know that this is another step on the way to change the situation in the north and return our residents safely to their homes,’ Netanyahu added. ‘And I repeat – this is not the end of the story.’ 

In an earlier statement, White House National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said President Biden ‘is closely monitoring events in Israel and Lebanon.’

‘He has been engaged with his national security team throughout the evening. At his direction, senior U.S. officials have been communicating continuously with their Israeli counterparts. We will keep supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we will keep working for regional stability,’ Savett added.

It was national security adviser Jake Sullivan leading those updates to Biden throughout the night, officials tell Fox News. 

After Hezbollah announced last night that their attack was over, White House officials said they will keep monitoring the situation.

‘There are no indications right now that another round is coming,’ one official told Fox News. 

A Western intelligence official told the New York Times that Israel’s preemptive attack targeted and destroyed missile launchers in Lebanon that had been programmed to fire at 5 a.m. toward Tel Aviv. 

The IDF were able to carry out a preemptive attack on thousands of rocket launchers in Lebanon after information gathered from Israeli intelligence agencies, including the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), found Hezbollah was planning to use them to target strategic military sites in central Israel, including in the Gush Dan region, the Israeli English-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported. 

The IDF also intercepted drones traveling from Lebanon that were intended to target central Israel, according to the newspaper. 

Approximately 100 Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter jets, directed by IDF intelligence, struck and destroyed ‘thousands of Hezbollah rocket launcher barrels that were located and embedded in southern Lebanon,’ the IDF said earlier. ‘Most of these launchers were aimed toward northern Israel and some were aimed toward central Israel, and more than 40 launch areas in Lebanon were struck during the strikes.’ 

The IDF said its forces struck Hezbollah launchers in several areas in southern Lebanon to remove threats and identified a terrorist cell operating in the area of Khiam in southern Lebanon. 

‘The IAF swiftly struck the terrorists,’ IDF wrote on X. 

At an earlier news briefing, IDF spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said Israeli forcesidentified ‘extensive preparation by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to fire toward the Israeli Home Front.’ 

‘After extensive identification, the IAF and Northern Command began proactively and broadly striking Hezbollah targets in order to remove the threats aimed at the citizens of Israel,’ Hagari said. ‘We are removing threats against the Israeli home front. Dozens of IAF jets are currently striking targets in various locations in southern Lebanon. We are continuing to remove threats, and to intensively strike against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.’

The Israeli military said it struck because Hezbollah was planning to launch a heavy barrage of rockets and missiles toward Israel. Soon after, Hezbollah announced it had launched an attack on Israeli military positions as an initial response to the killing of Fouad Shukur, one of its founding members, in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut last month.

By mid-morning, it appeared that the exchange had ended, with both sides saying they had only aimed at military targets, according to The Associated Press. 

Israeli Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Hezbollah had intended to hit targets in northern and central Israel. He said initial assessments found ‘very little damage’ in Israel, but that the military remained on high alert. 

Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that two people were killed and another two were wounded in the strikes in southern Lebanon. 

Separately, a fighter for the Amal group, which is allied with Hezbollah, was killed in a strike on a car, Amal said.

Hezbollah said its attack involved more than 320 Katyusha rockets aimed at multiple sites in Israel, and a ‘large number’ of drones. It said the operation was targeting ‘a qualitative Israeli military target that will be announced later’ as well as ‘enemy sites and barracks and Iron Dome (missile defense) platforms.’

Hezbollah said the strikes would allow it to launch more attacks deeper into Israel, but a later statement said that ‘military operations for today have been completed.’ The terrorist group said it targeted 11 bases, barracks and military positions in northern Israel, including the Golan Heights, and dismissed Israel’s claim to have thwarted a stronger attack. Hezbollah did not provide evidence for its claims.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was expected to give a speech later on Sunday.

After an emergency government meeting, Lebanon’s caretaker Economy Minister Amin Salam said officials were ‘feeling a bit more optimistic’ about a de-escalation.

‘We feel more reassured since both sides confirmed that the expected operations ended, and we know that the negotiations in Cairo are very serious,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Egypt on Sunday is hosting high-level talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire in the 10-month-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which diplomats hope will tamp down regional tensions.

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. is expected to make a trip to the Middle East to participate in negotiations. 

‘Over the next few days, the Chairman will visit key allies and partners in the region, Egypt, Jordan and Israel, as a display of the long-term U.S. commitment to the Middle East and to further his understanding of the various perspectives of ongoing tensions,’ Joint Staff spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey said in a statement Saturday. 

Fox News’ Yonat Friling, Lucas Tomlinson, Kate Sprague and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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